Defense systems, such as Ballistic Missile Defense (“BMD”) systems, typically include a radar system and a weapons system. The radar system detects and tracks objects, e.g., a missile, plane, boat, or the like, by periodically transmitting beams of electromagnetic waves in a certain direction from radar sensors. The beams of electromagnetic waves have certain sweep areas or beam widths. Objects within the beam width cause an electromagnetic wave to be reflected back towards the radar sensors. The radar system filters the received waves and uses the characteristics of the received waves to determine the location of the object as well as the object's speed and trajectory. The radar system adjusts the direction in which the radar sensors transmits the electromagnetic beam based on the location, speed, and trajectory of the object, as previously determined. In this manner, the radar system tracks a moving object.
The information gathered by the radar system is used by a weapons system for targeting of the object being tracked. An object with a ballistic missile trajectory primarily moves under the influence of gravity and atmospheric friction. Consequently, the tracking and targeting of a ballistic missile is based on the well-understood laws of motion that apply to such trajectories. However, some ballistic missiles include multi-stage booster rockets that are sequentially or periodically activated. The use of such multi-stage boosters significantly complicates the tracking of the ballistic missile since the radar and tracking systems do not know the time at which a booster is activated, the time at which a booster is deactivated, and the thrust provided to the missile by the booster.
Accordingly, an improved system and method for determining if a booster rocket is used by a ballistic missile are desirable.